1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and method for configuring a content delivery network, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for configuring an overlay network to efficiently deliver and manage content.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general method for delivering content on the Internet is to deliver content files from a server containing desired content to a client terminal according to a request from the client terminal so that the client terminal can download the content files sent from the server. However, the method has a problem that it is difficult to estimate the time taken for downloading content files since the method is greatly dependent on the state of a network, and it takes a long time to download all the content files.
As a method for dramatically improving the performance of the Internet by improving Internet service quality and speed, a content delivery network has been developed. The content delivery network is a service for distributively delivering content using a plurality of local servers located at different sites on a network and a traffic management technology, in order to avoid a bottleneck that often occurs upon transmission of content. Internet service providers such as content providers can efficiently accommodate Internet users through a content delivery network system, and the Internet users can receive content at high speed using most appropriate servers.
Recently, with the activation of open multimedia services, such as a smart TV and a web TV, content and service providers themselves can provide services to user terminals, such as smart TVs, smart phones, etc., without the help of a network operator. However, since content delivery technology for such open multimedia services has not yet been developed, there are difficulties in providing extensible services to users.
Meanwhile, an overlay network is a virtual network having a virtual service routing function, which is configured on top of an existing physical network. In other words, the overlay network is a virtual network of nodes and logical links that is built on top of an existing transfer network. In the overlay network, since neighboring nodes are logically neighboring nodes, not physically neighboring nodes, it is possible to provide efficient network services by making the best use of an existing network.